Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-12-08

J
You cannot imagine what remark
ably precocious child this little San
teze was. 1t looked as if all the ten
derness, all the enthusiasm of the
whole race had fallen to this one, the
last of the name. He always seemed
to be in dream, and, for hours. he
would walk all alone in the long
avenue OF elm trees which leads from
the chateau to the woods. From my
window, would notice the sentiment
tai lad, stepping grayely along, his
hands behind his back, his eyes cast
down, now and then stopping 20 look
up as if he saw and understood and
felt things that were beyond his years.
Often, after dinner, on moonlight
nights, he would say 60 me: Come.
cousin, let us go ous to muse. And
then we would start out together
through the park. He would stop alb
ruptly in front % the gladeS where
hoated that white yapor, that light
wadding with which the moon pads
the opening between the trees; then he
would say to me, as he pressed my
hand: 'See that-see. But you do
not understand me; know you don't.
If you did, You would be happy. One
must love to understand. | would
laugh and kiss the child that was so
much attached to me.
Often, also, after dinner, he would
sit on my mothers knees. Now,
aunty. would he say, "tell us some
love stories. And mother, for fun,
would relate to him all the legends Of
his family, all the passionate adven-
lures of his forefathers, and of these
there was not few thousands and
thousands of them were spoken OF,
true as well as false. 1t was the repu-
taton OF these men that destroyed
them. Their minds would get orked
up, and then they gloried in keeping
up the family fame.
The little fellow would become ami
mated over these tender or terrible
narratives, and at times, he would
clap his hands as he would repeat over
and over: 81 too, know how to love,
and better than any of them"
And then he began counting me in
timid and tender manner that made
everybody laugh, SO odd did it seem.
Every morning | received bunch of
flowers that he had gathered for me,
and every night, before going up to
his room, he would kiss my hand and
murmur: 81 love your
TWAS wrong, very wrong, and still
weep over my folly. All my life have
done penance on account of it, and /
have remained an old maid, or rather
/ have lived as a widowed betrothed,
his widow / would amuse myself
with his childish affection; | encour-
aged him; | was coquettish and be-
witching, just as / might have been
with man. | made the child dote
upon me- 1t was fun for me and an
amusing pastime for his mother and
for mine! He was twelve years old!
just think, who would ever have inn
agined that this atoms love was seri-
ousP | would kiss him whenever he
asked me to: | would even write him
tender notes which our mothers would
read, and he would answer me with
letters full of passion, which / still
preserve. Believing himself man he
supposed that our love was kept secret.
| We had all lost sight of the fact that
he was dc Santeze
Things went on in this way for a
year or so. One evening, in the park,
he fell at my feet, and kissing the hem
of my dress, he cried out passioaately
II love you, | love you, love you to
the DEATH If you ever deceive me,
YOU understand what | am saying, il
ever you forsake me for another,
shall do as did my father" And he
added in deep voice that sent chill
through me: ~ or know what he didf
Then, as | stood motionless, dumb
founded, he rose and standing on tip
toe so as to reach my ear, he whisper
ed my name, "Geneyieye!' in 80 sweet.
so pretty, so tender tone that could
not help trembling all over,
| stammered; 'Let us return homo!
He said nothing more, but followed
me i'm silence; Just as we were about to
ascend the front-door steps, however,
he stopped me aud said. Remember
that if YOU forsake me | shall kill my
self
Then, but only then. realized that
| had gone too far, and. thcuceforth, |
became more reserved with him. One
day, as he reproached me for having
changed toward him, replied: you
are too big to jest with now, and not
yet old enough FOR serious love shall
| wait till You are.
thought that this would end it all.
In autumn he was sent to a boarding
school. When ne returned the follow
ing summer was engaged. He mn
derstood Immediately how matters
stood, and for eight days went about
with SO thoughtful a mien that be-
came alarmed.
The ninth day as left my bed in the
morning, noticed a small folded pa
per that had been slipped under my
door Picking it up and opening it
read: you have forsakeu me; you
know what ! told you. You have con
| dcmncd me to death. As donot wish
to be found by any one but you, go in
to the park, to the spot where | told
| you, last year, that | loved you, and
| look up.
felt that | was going crazy.
| dressed myself i'm nh haste; and ran SO